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Brave Rider Academy
Team Wimpy Update 6: A stay-away show, sat nav blips and living for today, By Nina Studley.

Hi all,

Well after 23 years not competing only taking it back up last summer and thinking I could start off where I left confidence wise how wrong was I?!

A 38 year old brain doesn’t think like a 15 year olds brain!! To get me going, I did a few unaffiliated jumping classes most not planned because if they were planned I wouldn’t sleep or eat and my tummy would be doing all sorts of things.

We had a few good results so decided to join BS club, I only jumped the 70cm classes as they were big enough and made me have melt downs sometimes not even walking the course just watching others ride it before me!!

Summer went and winter jumping started and over the winter I qualified for the Cricklands Winter league Finals at David Broomes in Wales, 70cm and 75cm classes.

Never in my whole horsey life have I ever been away for 4 days jumping so I made sure I rode Lara everyday to get her fitter , and with the Team Wimpy support I even did a couple of 80cm bs classes before hand with good results!!!

I was told by Harry Meade to always ride my courses like they were 1.50 courses little did he know that 80cm to me looked like 1.50!!! The courses absolutely terrified me even the thought of an 80cm course made me feel physically sick!

Preparation time

Before we were to leave for the finals on the 20th of April I had to make sure I had enough breeches, that the tack was clean and the lorry was loaded. Mum was in charge of the food situation, Dad was in charge of making sure lorry was all good and I was in charge of me and  Lara.

We arrived at 1pm unloaded Lara and thankfully, the sun was shining, my dad took Lara for grass while mum and I went and booked in and got stable number and made Lara’s bed comfy for her. The stables were a decent size which was nice and not many people were there yet.

Thursday afternoon I did a clear round on her just so she could get a feel of the arena and surroundings and was glad I did as there were unicorn jumps , giraffe jumps and Bertie basset jumps all very scary to a spooky big baby like Lara! But she was amazing jumping everything and only backing off a silly black and white plank.

Friday morning up at the crack of dawn, I didn’t sleep well at all… all that pressure especially as I said I would be a team member for the 2ft6 teams (OMG not only myself to let down but 3 others!!).

Anyway, first class was 2ft 3 speed class she jumped amazingly fast but a unlucky pole on the skinny jump! On meeting my much younger team members I already apologised to them for letting the team down before even jumping!! They laughed and said it’s meant to be FUN !!!

Anyway the afternoon came and our first team member went in and clear, 2nd rider didn’t go clear and the 3rd had a pole too. My turn next… we didn’t go fast but we went clear!!!!!

I could have cried I was so proud of Lara she jumped amazingly and got us out of a couple sticky points I was so happy , even happier that we actually came 6th out of 14 teams!!!!

Saturday was heats day, a different ring and different jumps so was praying Lara was going to be on best behaviour! I met a lovely lady Nicky who was just as nervous about this whole competion as much as I was and her horse Copper was lush!

2ft3 over 35s Heat One…we went DC and came 7th!!! Which was amazing as it was against ponies too who are so blooming fast. 2ft6 over 35s Heat one… jumping absolutely amazing till I had sat nav issues, I think I was concentrating so hard everything just went a bit fuzzy NEVER HAVE I EVER FORGOTTEN A COURSE!!! I was mortified but main thing was we did jump amazing as some of the back poles on the spreads were 85cm/90cm in the second phase … it was a closed eyes and kick on jobby!!!

Sunday, we were both tired we had jumped in the heat for 3 days and I had not slept well while we were there Lara felt tired in the warm up but 2ft3 Heat 2 over 35s we went in she felt dead under me which I think put me off as once again lost our way 🙁 actually I went straight past the jump I was ment to be jumping!!! I came out the arena and went for a walk as I got upset by this point letting myself down and Lara.

I Walked the course for the 2ft 6 Heat 2 with Nicky who encouraged me to do it! I had lost all confidence in that one split second, but my name was called and in I went we managed to find our way to fence 7 which she refused but I turned her round, aimed at it again and went over it followed by fence 8 and then buzzed out as it’s 2 phase but glad I found my way to fence 8 …phew!! We were exhausted.

Back to stables, we packed up and headed home.

I had an amazing time and met some lovely people who I will be friends with for a long time. The atmosphere was amazing and the whole competition ran so smoothly it was great. Big thanks to my mum and dad who took me and supported me and my partner Elvin who stayed home and looked after kids and other animals without them I couldn’t have done it.

Roll on to more qualifying comps to go back again!! Also, big thank you Team Wimpy for your on going support great little wimpy family we have and if there is anyone out there who wants to give it a go if I can do it, then you can too!!! You only live once so do what you love. Life is too short for regrets…

Love

Nina xx

First BE of 2018 – Shelford BE90 – a day of exhuberance!

Here it is, my first BE of 2018…

So, my routine outing before the big day was complete with my dressage trip on Friday night, I gave him a little pop over some jumps in the field yesterday to round off our prep. I then went to my big brothers for a family barbecue, drank a bottle of wine to myself and got a crap nights sleep… brilliantly done you whopping sack of crap… why did I do that? Why? Maybe to dull the nerves, maybe that’s it ??

But anyway, I woke up feeling like a turtle had deposited its innards into my skull and had no one to blame but myself!

My first AFFLIATED 90 of the season, only my second run out this year too and because I was dressaging at 12.30 with a two hour gap before jumping at 3pm I left the course walk until then. We arrived in plenty of time and I began flushing my system with litres of water ? and went and checked in. I was nearly last to go and there were already some very competitive scores in my section ? which I don’t think I should have looked at!

He warmed up well, not too many moments where I felt scared this time. I’d given him the calmer syringe before we left home so it was in full flow in time for my most dreaded part (the dressage warm up). I came out quite optimistic for a sub 30 but alas …. a 33 was what we received and I haven’t seen my sheet yet to learn how to improve… he was a bit behind the leg at times but I’ve done much worse tests for better marks so it’s all a learning game ??

Lying around 8th going into the SJ… I’ll take that.

The cross country course walk, not ideal, not a disaster but definitely not ideal. There were a few I didn’t like; the skinny house at 4, the feed bags infront of number 9 and the size of the hedge at 13… but aside from that, it wasn’t horrendous.

Into the showjumping warm up and the calmer had almost definitely worn off, Pat was salmon fishing, squeaking and ballooning after every jump… I was not having a nice time AT ALL. He was thoroughly enjoying himself whilst my white knuckles clung on for grim death.

In the ring, I felt totally out of my comfort zone, normally my quite easy to manoeuvre horse felt like steering a double decker bus through silt… he was strong and I didn’t like it. The jumps felt small, there was nothing to back him off much and Ill admit it, I needed a bigger fence today. I never thought I’d say that…. but he was running on and I was not enjoying it! (See non smiley showjumping photos!!!). But despite his exuberance, we just rolled one rail where I over checked and only 4 to add to our dressage score!

Now, I will just add that this time last year I would have been thrilled with that, but I’ve been working so hard to ride him better, I can’t help but pick holes. I left him too slow, I needed more power, it was totally my error and I will fix it!

A quick change of clothes and we were turning a very lovely shade of green walking to the XC warm up. I don’t think I’ve been this nervous for a long time. I walked for a good 20 minutes before the chest tightness subsided, I stopped blubbering and I got my sh*t together!! We sailed a few practice jumps and went into the Startbox of Doom….

It really is now or never when you hear that “you’ve got 30 seconds” call out… what the f*ck can you do about it then…? NOTHING absolutely sweet FA, so you may as well give it everything you’ve got!

3, 2, 1…. we flew out of the start box and galloped down to the first, a log shared with the BE80 course, phew…!! a nice easer inner, and it jumped nicely which always gives me extra beans. A short gallop to the second, which was a wooden upright shared with the BE100… excellent ? but I gave it some power and shouted “GO GOOOOO GOOOOOOOOO….” and go he did! Soaring over it with room to spare, and onto number 3.

Three hadn’t looked much when I walked it, but he bloody backed off it a treat (wasurk!) so I had to ride for my life at 3, long before I had anticipated, it wasn’t pretty…but we got over it! Down to the skinny house at 4, I shortened the canter and rode through the funnel with nice short reins and a firm leg and he pinged out over it like a bloody pro!

A gallop down to 5 a trailer dressed with two (obviously, life threatening) wooden acorns… he looked, looked again, thought about stopping but I caught him, picked him up and carried him over with a lot of vocal encouragement ? I’m used to his backing off now, I know if I want it enough, he goes! Into the woods for a palisade at six and a set of ladders at seven, both jumped really nicely after the killer acorns.

8 was a double of plastic pipes and he was so busy spooking at the jump judge we almost didn’t lock on, but we got there, Pop! Pop! By now I have two things running through my head, ecstatic delirium and holding back tears of joy and how likely is it that a human being can cough up an actual lung? ? I’m not fit enough yet that’s for sure!

9 was the bags of feed… he backed off but I was seriously ready for him and kicked his arse so royally over those bags that he galloped like the clappers over a log and drop for 10a and b into the trees. I grabbed a lot of mane down the bank and good job because 11 (a log out of the wood) left me a little unseated, but golly did he help me out there!

12 was a step up which was no bother for his nibs, then a gallop down to the whopping hedge at 13, probably the best jump I got all day. It felt amazing… soaring through the air squealing with joy! 14 was on an angle back into the woods again and was catching a lot of people out, I pulled back to a strong trot just for the turn and cantered the last few strides.. ping! We nailed it! Out over the palisade at 15 and a nice gallop down to another hedge before the ? water!

In we splashed and out over the yellow pipes, soaring and squealing down the home straight to fly over the last and through those wonderful finish flags…. huge pats and squeals all round!!! Pat came bucking and leaping, full of beans through the finish. He genuinely felt the happiness I feel, he was having the time of his life today, I could just feel it bursting out of him! The love I have for that tiny boy, I don’t care that he’s not the bravest, or the most careful or that we haven’t won one yet. All I care about is how we gel together, how we are a team, we know each other inside out and that’s worth more than any rosette could ever be.

So that was it, inside the optimum time too for a finishing score of 37 leaving us in 11th place. Not bad at all for our first run and lots to take from it too. I’m happy, he’s happy, that’s what it all boils down to.

Thank you to my Carrot ? for being the best groom and chief photographer and to my lovely sponsors, Voltaire Design, FALPRO, FoxyEquestrian, Topline Vet Physio, Pegasus Jewellery and Point Two.

Also a big thank you to everyone that came and said hello today ? you guys are the reason I’m doing this, you keep me going, you’ve built up my fragile confidence and given me hope. So thank you with everything I have left ????

Good night, God bless and so much love, as always
Vic and PatXxxxxxx